Automatic crossing-gate.



C. l. HALL.

AUTOMATIC CROSSING GATE.

APPLICATION HLED MAY 24. 1913.

l l 43, l 90, Patented June 15, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHHvfJroI!4 c. r

C.- I. HALL.

AUTOMATIC CROSSING GATE. APPLICATION FILED MAY24. |913.

1143,190. Patented June 15, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fa L

J I f I 1 I ze I I I- $0 I- W L THE NORRIS PETERS Co., PHOTO-LITHO.,WASHINGYON. D. C.

i mais s CHARLES I. HALL,

OF ,MOUNT VERNON, WASHINGTON.

AUTOMATIC CROSSING-GATE.

mum- Speeicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1915.

Application filed May 24, 1913. Serial N o. 769,678.

To all whom t may concern Be it knownthat I, CHARLES I. HALL, a citizenof the United States,residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of Skagitand State of vVashingtom have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Crossing-Gates, of which the following is aspecication.

This invention relates tonew and novel gates, and more particularly, toimprovements in automatic gates which are. used at thecrossings ofhighwaysand railways for the prevention of accidents.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of gates of thisnature which are automatically operated, through the medium ofelectrical means, by a train or car upon the railway, approaching thehighway, thus forming a closure for the crossing of the two ways andpreventing any vehicle, or the like, from entering upon the railway. u

A still further object of this invention is to simplify and improve theconstruction of devices of this nature as is consistent with theperforming of its fundamental functions, and a device with which thegates may be held closed for any length of time during the passing of acar or train .upon the track. j

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention consists insuch novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying'drawings and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like charactersof refer ence designatelikeor correspondingA parts throughout theseveral views, and in which,

l Figure 1 is a side elevationA of theV im- Y, proved gate and operatingmechanism thereof the improved gates Y cured in any manner to Referringto the drawings by numeral, 1 designates a railway which is constructed1n the usual manner of T-rails 2 and cross ties 3, and which hasarranged along side thereof the platform 4. l

The platform 4 forms a covering for a cavity or pit 5, which is cut orformed within the ground directly under the highway (not shown), andadjacent to the railway as is clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.Mounted upon the platform 4 are crossing gates 5 which are composed,each gate, of bars 6 and 7, which are pivotally mounted upon standards 8and 9. The standards 8 and 9 are mounted upon the platform 4 by anysuitable means such as bolts 10, so that they will not interfere withthe traveling of a vehicle, or the like, upon the highway. The bars 6and 7 are of the construction which is usually employed in gateways ofthis type, and are pivoted in the usual manner on the standards 8 and 9.The bars 6 and 7, which form the gate have a rope 10 connected thereto,one end of the rope connected by each of the bars as is shown at 11. Therope 10 after passing for a short distance along the upper edge of thebars 6 and 7 is curved about the ends thereof, eX- tends downwardlythrough openings 12 in the platform 4, and about a pulley 13 which ismounted in a pulley-guard 14.

The pulley-guard 14 has rings 15 and 16 connected to its upper and lowerends respectively, and the weight 17 is connected to the ring 16 in anysuitable manner. The weight 17 is of a size so that when the gate barsGand 7 are not forcibly held under tension, the weight willcounterbalance and cause them to stand upright, or opened, as is shownin Fig. 1 of the drawings.

A rope 20 issecured to the ring 15 in any suitable manner, passes abouta pulley 21, and is connected to a drum 22. `The pulley 21 is mounted ina bracket 23, which is sethe inner surface of the platform 4. The drum22 is rigidly mounted upon the shaft 24 of motor 25, which motor `25 ismounted upon aV platform 26 placed in one side of the pit 5, as isclearly shown in both Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The motor 25 isconnected to the series of batteries 27 toY railway,

or other electrical energy generating system by an electrical conductingwire 28. The batteries 27 are also mounted in any convenient positionwithin the pit 5, and have an electrical conducting wire 29 connected toone of the series of the batteries one of the T-rails 2 of therailway 1. Another electrical conducting wire 30 is'connected to themotor 25, and to the other of theV Trails of 'the railway 1. Thisconnecting of the wires is clearly set forth in the diagrammatical viewshown in the drawings.. The electrical conducting wires are connected tothe various parts as heretofore described, so that when the circuit isclosed betweenthe two rails of the railway 1, electrical energy will beimparted to themotor` 25. The wire 30 is protected from engage ment withforeign articles, and also atmosphericeffects by a metallic or othersuitable y tubing 31.

-From the foregoing description and the drawings, motive, or similardevice, approaches the gates which are mounted, as has been heretoforedescribed,thev wheel axles of the locomotive will close the circuitbetween the two rails of the track 1, and circuit between the two polesof the batteries 27. `This closing of the circuit between theoppositepo-les of the batteries 27 will cause the motor 25 to rotate,owing to the imparting of electrical energy thereto. The rotating ofthemotor 25 will also rotate the shaft 24, and the drum 22 which is rigidlymounted thereupon. As the rope 2O is securely connected to the drum 22,it will, upon the rotation of the drum, be wound to the drum, andthiswinding ofthe rope 2O to the drum'will forcibly raise the weight 17 to aposition as is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, thus allowing the `bars6 and 7 of the gate 5 to lower and form a closure for the crossing ofthe highway and the as isy shown in Fig. 2. The weight will be held in araisedposition until it is desired to have the gates returned to theirraised position' since the pull by the motor upon the line 20 continuesuntil the train or car has passed the crossing and the circuit throughthe motor is again A after the train leaves the portion of the track l,which is connected to the wires 29 and 30, the circuit betweentheropposite poles of the series of batteries 27 will be broken and therotation of the motor, due to electrical energy', will cease, thusrelieving the weight 17 of the tension thereupon. This latterfeaturewill allow the weight 17 to drop downwardly and assumeposition as isshown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, forcing -barsfG- and 7 in anuprightposition.

The time when the gates are lowered, duringl the passing of thelocomotive or the like, over the tracks, depends entirely upon the andto adapted t0 normally it will be seen thatwhena locof broken.Immelength of track, or T-rails, which are connected in conductiveVrelation to the batteries 27.

In Vpractical fields, certain minor features of construction,combination, and arrange-v ment of parts maynecessitate alterations towhich the pa-tentee is entitled, provided such alterations. arecomprehended within the scope of what is claimed.

Wha-t is claimed is: y .Y

,1. In a railway crossing gate the combistandards, a. rope connected tosaid gatebars, said rope passing `about a pulley, a pulley guard aboutsaid pulley, a weight secured to said pulley-guard, said weight holdsaid gate-bars in an .upright position, and train controlled nation, ofgate-bars pivotally mounted upon v means connected to the upper portionof- Y saidpulleyguard for raising said weight to permit said gate-barsto lower, and assume a horizontal position when a train or the like ispassing. l

2. In a railway crossing gate the combination of a platform, standardsYcarriedby said platform, gate-bars pivotally connected with saidstandards, a cable having its end portions secured to said gate-bars andpassing beneath said platform, aV pulley guard i straddling said cablebeneath said platform and provided with a pulley wheel resting upon saidcable, a weight carried by said pulley guard, a guide Acarried by saidplat,- form above said pulley guard, a drum, a line wound ,upon saiddrum and passing through said guideand connectedwith said pulley guard,and train controlled electrically op`- erated means for rotating saiddrum to wind the line' thereon and raise said weightto permit saidgate-bars tomove toalowe'red position.

3. In a railway crossing gate the'combination, of gate-bars pivotallymounted' upon' standards, a rope connected to said gatebars, said ropepassing about apulle'y,"a pulley-guard about said pulley, a weightsecured to said pulley-guard, said weight' adapted to normally holdsaid. gate-barsin an upright position, and trainY controlledelectrically operated means connected to the upper portion of saidpulley-guard for'raising said weight and permitting saidrgate- Y bars,a'pl'urality of electrical batteries withsaid ,rope passing about apulley, a

in said pit, electrical conductors connecting is closed between the twopoles of the series one of the poles of said batteries to the rails ofbatteries. 10 of the railways, electrical conductors con- In testimonywhereof I affix my signature :meeting the other pole of said batteriesto an in presence of two witnesses.

electrical motor, means carried by said elec- CHARLES I. HALL. Vtricalmotor and connected to said pulley- Witnesses:

guard for causing the said gate-bars to as- CARL SCHIRMAN,

sume a horizontal position when the circuit J. H. MoALIs'rER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

